After a dog killed an endangered piping plover in Scarborough last summer, the town has added a part-time beach worker to patrol the beach and educate people about the birds. WMTW News 8's Paul Merrill reports.

áááÑ THE TOWN OF SCARBOROUGH IS TAKING EXTRA MEASURES TO PROTECT ITS PIPING PLOVERS. THERE IS A NEW PART-TIME POSITION ON THE PAYROLL: SOMEONE TO PATROL THE BEACHES AND EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT THE ENDANGERED BIRDS. WMTW NEWS EIGHT'S PAUL MERRILL JOINS US LIVE NOW FROM PINE POINT WITH THE STORY. MANY PEOPLE HERE MANY PEOPLE HERE IN SCARBOROUGH ALREADY KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEMS THE TOWN ENCOUNTERED AFTER A DOG KILLED A PIPING PLOVER HERE LAST YEAR BUT A LOT OF BEACHGOERS ARE VISITORS WHO MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH THAT HISTORY OR THE BEACH RULES AND THIS IS HOW THE TOWN IS TRYING TO FIX THAT. THIS PIPING PLOVER LOOKING FOR FOOD ON PINE POINT BEACH AND ITS NEST- MINDING MATE ARE TWO OF SIX ADULT PLOVERS THAT LIVE ON THIS STRETCH OF SAND. THERE ARE ONLY EIGHT IN TOTAL IN ALL OF SCARBOROUGH. "Plovers are endangered because their favorite habitat is one of human's favorite habitats too." RYAN WYNNE HAS DONE HIS HOMEWORK ON THE ENDANGERED SHOREBIRD. THE TOWN HIRED THIS 28-YEAR-OLD TO POLICE THE PRECIOUS PIPING PLOVER POPULATION. THE PART-TIME GIG PAYS $14 AN HOUR. RYAN POSTS SIGNAGE AND MANAGES VOLUNTEERS WHO WORK TO EDUCATE BEACHGOERS. "I was expecting to be getting a lot more negativity towards this - pushback - and, so far, it hasn't been the case." SCARBOROUGH RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN CHIRPING A LOT ABOUT THE ENDANGERED BIRDS SINCE A DOG KILLED ONE LAST SUMMER. THE TOWN IS STILL FACING A FEDERAL FINE. SCARBOROUGH OFFICIALS HAVE UPDATED THEIR LEASH LAW TO PROTECT THE RARE PLOVERS. "We know all about them, yes, and it's the talk of the beach, and it is pro-plover or pro- dog and it's a big controversy." SHAUNA DAMBOISE SAYS SHE SEES BOTH SIDES OF THE ISSUE. SHE AND HER FAMILY ENJOY THE BEACH AND LIKE THE PLOVERS, BUT SHAUNA HAS A CLEAR OPINION WHEN IT COMES TO WHETHER SHE THINKS THE TOWN SHOULD BE SPENDING THOUSANDS OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO HIRE SOMEONE LIKE RYAN. "I think it's a lot of money to spend. I understand the whole issue, and I think if people followed the law - especially dog owners with leashes - there wouldn't have been this situation." RYAN SAYS HE UNDERSTANDS WHY PEOPLE FEEL THAT WAY BUT HE SAYS SCARBOROUGH HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT THE PIPING PLOVERS SO THEY DON'T DISAPPEAR. "Everybody who comes to the beach might have their own reason for coming here. Some like to be in the water, some might want to bring their dogs here, and there are people who come to bird watch here." RYAN AND HIS VOLUNTEERS DON'T HAVE THE POWER TO WRITE TICKETS, BUT THE POLICE DO. RYAN SAYS, SO FAR THIS SUMMER, THERE HAS BEEN ONE INCIDENT OF A WOMAN BEING FINED $100 FOR HAVING HER DOG OFF LEASH. LIVE IN SCARBOROUGH, PAUL MERRILL, WMTW NEWS EIGHT.